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Bollywood News and Gossip | Bollywood Movie Reviews, Songs and Videos | Bollywood Actress and Actors Updates | Bollywoodlife.comWed, 24 May 2017 18:30:00 +0000en-ENhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5Anurag Kashyap: A film like Gangs of Wasseypur is new in Indian cinemahttp://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/anurag-kashyap-a-film-like-gangs-of-wasseypur-is-new-in-indian-cinema/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/anurag-kashyap-a-film-like-gangs-of-wasseypur-is-new-in-indian-cinema/#respondWed, 20 Jun 2012 07:56:43 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=115753The maverick director chats about his latest film, Gangs of Wasseypur, before its UK premiere at the London Indian Film Festival 2012. The film made a splash at the Cannes International Film Festival, but will it work on a larger scale?

He’s the vanguard of indie films in India. From being a fantastic scriptwriter to becoming a depressed filmmaker because his Black Friday was banned for years, Anurag Kashyap has grown to be the face of Indian cinema that stands out from the usual candyfloss, masala entertainers. He makes films that are hard-hitting and realistic and supports people who want to experiment with cinema – be it Imtiaz Ali and Rockstar, or Tigmanshu Dhulia for Paan Singh Tomar. Anurag’s latest film – a two-part, six-hour marathon called Gangs of Wasseypur – was a hot favourite at Cannes 2012 and will be the first screening at the London Indian Film Festival tonight (June 20). The maverick director spoke to BollywoodLife on the phone from London…..

What egged you on to make a film like Gangs of Wasseypur and focus on a part of the country none of us knew?

Wasseypur is a unique place and the people there are also very unique. I found it all interesting to discover. Also, it excited me that there was a possibility to explore the mafia of north India through this film.

People are saying the film is Anurag Kashyap’s Dabangg or The Godfather…

It is like Gangs of Wasseypur – and no other film. I am just excited it got made. And I am happy that people will get to see it and that there is such a strong buzz around it.

How did you go about casting for the film? There are some less known actors like Reemma Sen, Jaideep Ahlawat and Richa Chadda in it. Manoj Bajpayee is the only big name…

We held lots of auditions for three to four months depending on our requirement. For example, for Reemma’s role, we were clear that we didn’t want a gym-going girl. We wanted a small-town career woman who is lean, but not toned. There are no gyms in places like Wasseypur; there are only akhadas.

Even with the strong buzz around Gangs…, do you think it will be well-received in multiplexes in big cities?

It is a film about things that nobody has seen on screen. Hindi cinema has never seen anything like it before. Just like Dev.D or Gulaal or That Girl In Yellow Boots….

Are you going to release the film in Wasseypur?

Yes. The film releases at Ray Talkies in Wasseypur, which has also been featured in the movie.

You must be a hero for Wasseypur’s inhabitants already! But didn’t anyone object to using the town’s name? No controversy?

No, in fact, the people there are very excited about the film. Only a particular person who has political aspirations has objected to the film.

We have been hearing about GoW for a while. Was it easy to sustain the passion for so long to make it?

We worked on the film for three years, including the script and the music. I feel we have made a better film than what we had expected.

What next? Bombay Velvet?

Right now I am looking forward to watching some films at the London Indian Film Festival. And after Gangs… releases, I’m going to take a break and sleep for a month. Bombay Velvetbegins in April 2013.

I want to go on vacation, but that’s after she finishes shooting for her assignments.

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/anurag-kashyap-a-film-like-gangs-of-wasseypur-is-new-in-indian-cinema/feed/0Cannes 2012 verdict: Gangs of Wasseypur, Peddlers, Miss Lovelyhttp://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/cannes-2012-verdict-gangs-of-wasseypur-peddlers-miss-lovely/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/cannes-2012-verdict-gangs-of-wasseypur-peddlers-miss-lovely/#respondMon, 28 May 2012 10:11:25 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=109094Cineswami shares the response to the three Indian films at Cannes film festival 2012

So, the annual jamboree that is the Cannes film festival is over. This year, apart from the usual spate of non-entities like Mallika Sherawat, Arjun Rampal, Sonam Kapoor and a Goodyear blimp resembling Aishwarya Rai Bachchan walking the red carpet, there was reason for Indian cinema to cheer, because there were four films in official selection (five if you count Gangs of Wasseypur as two films). The Indian media was of course second to none in feting the Indian films, but if we look at global media opinions on the films, they are sobering. So, as always, being the first to party poop, Cineswami compiles the results. But before that, a reminder that none of the Indian selections won any award in Cannes. Guess just being selected is a good enough first step.

Gangs of Wasseypur: Anurag Kashyap’s epic can be described as the Indian triumph at Cannes. The Hollywood Reporter is ecstatic, saying, “An extraordinary ride through Bollywood’s spectacular, over-the-top filmmaking, Gangs of Wasseypur puts Tarantino in a corner with its cool command of cinematically-inspired and referenced violence, ironic characters and breathless pace.” There is also a touch of practicality when they say that the film “clocks in at more than five hours of smartly shot and edited footage, making it extremely difficult to release outside cult and midnight venues.” However, the film managed to confuse the reviewer enough into thinking that it is set in Bengal, something that is mentioned twice in the review, whereas in reality it is set in Bihar and Jharkhand.

Screen International is delirious about Wasseypur, saying: “Though it runs at over five hours, there’s never a dull moment in this Indian gangland epic by one of India’s hottest indie directors, Anurag Kashyap. Oozing visual style, laced with tight and often blackly comic dialogue, bolstered by tasty performances and a driving neo-Bollywood soundtrack, this Tarantino-tinged Bihari take on The Godfather has what it takes to cross over from the Indian domestic and Diaspora markets to reach out to action-loving, gore-tolerant theatrical and auxiliary genre audiences worldwide.” Screen however also strikes a note of caution, albeit minor, saying: “It takes some initial effort for non-Indian viewers in particular to make sense of the sheer weight of exposition needed to get the story going and to remember who’s who and how they’re all related, but voiceover, character-naming captions and sparing use of flashback and flashforward help clear things up, and after an hour so we know our way around.”

Peddlers: Vasan Bala’s debut, produced by Kashyap, didn’t find too much favour with The Hollywood Reporter. They say: “Confused, at times naive story-telling eventually gives way to a powerful dramatic finale, but one so downbeat it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, in Peddlers, a first feature by Indian writer-director Vasan Bala.” Later, it is a tad more positive: “Though it takes a long time coming together, the Hindi-language film does finally succeed in its action-packed last half-hour, rewarding audiences who hang on for that long.”

Miss Lovely: Ashim Ahluwalia’s ambitious debut fiction feature failed to make the cut for international critics, who slammed it. The Hollywood Reporter opens its broadside with: “its lethargic mood and elusive story will limit it to small niche audiences,” and goes on to damn the film thus: “On paper, the plot of Miss Lovely sounds like a vibrant behind-the-scenes retro-thriller in the Scorsese, De Palma or Paul Thomas Anderson tradition. But the finished article is a very different animal, chiefly because Ahluwalia chooses to tell a potentially lurid story in such a listless and elliptical manner. Dialogue is very spare, with long scenes drifting along wordlessly and aimlessly. The performances are competent, but ill served by sketchy and cryptic characterisation… Partly driven by his concerns that Bollywood-dominated India is the “laughing stock” of global cinema, Ahluwalia has striven for a very self-consciously arty aesthetic here, more Gus Van Sant than Michael Mann… Miss Lovely sets out to prove that Indian cinema can be as rambling, pretentious and frustratingly opaque as a European art movie. It succeeds rather too well.”

Screen pretty much agrees: “Ahluwalia has a hard time telling a story of any kind, even as unoriginal as this one is, establishing anything more than clichéd characters or following any kind of sequence continuity. His film gallops ahead regardless of any need for clarity, his shots tied up together in the kind of elliptic editing that may be just too much of an effort to keep up with. One-dimensional performances are not much help either.”

Again, Variety is the lone positive voice: “Documaker Ashim Ahluwalia (John & Jane) makes an impressive transition to features with Miss Lovely, an atmospheric tragedy set in the sordid world of Bombay’s exploitation-film industry during the late 1980s. There, on the wrong side of the law, labor the purveyors of cheap titillation for audiences that, in the words of one financier, “want to see naked girls, pretty and shameless.” Something new in Indian filmmaking, neither Bollywood nor traditional art cinema, the pic provides provides a unique, immersive experience that will need kudos and critical support to boost international arthouse sales.”

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/cannes-2012-verdict-gangs-of-wasseypur-peddlers-miss-lovely/feed/0Anurag Kashyap all over Cannes film festival 2012http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/anurag-kashyap-all-over-cannes-film-festival-2012/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/anurag-kashyap-all-over-cannes-film-festival-2012/#commentsTue, 24 Apr 2012 11:59:45 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=99301His directorial, Gangs of Wasseypur, has been selected for the Directors’ Fortnight and his production, Peddlers, will be a part of the Cannes Critics Week

When it rains, it pours. And Anurag Kashyap is all set to reign over the prestigious Cannes film festival this May. His latest film as director, Gangs of Wasseypur, an epic tale of generational feud set against the backdrop of northern India’s coal-stained badlands, has been selected for the Directors’ Fortnight strand of the festival. The film stars Manoj Bajpayee and the new Irrfan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Anurag will also be thrilled that Peddlers, a film that’s a searing look at the new Mumbai of today, has been chosen for Cannes Critics Week. It is produced by Anurag’s company and is directed by Vasan Bala, who assisted him on Gulaal and Dev.D and was associate director on Michael Winterbottom’s Trishna. Up and comers Gulshan Deviah (Hate Story), Kriti Malhotra (Dhobi Ghat) and director-turned-actor Nishikant Kamat (404) star.

It’s going to be the year of Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Besides Wasseypur, he also stars in Cannes selection Miss Lovely. Yes, this is a bumper year for India with three titles in. Directed by Ashim Ahluwalia (John and Jane), Miss Lovely follows a pair of brothers as they make third-rate horror/porn in ’80s Mumbai. Siqqidui plays one of the brothers.

In the midst of all the Cannes euphoria, let’s not forget to pay tribute to one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, Maliampurackal Chacko Punnoose, popularly known as Navodaya Appachan who succumbed to cancer at 88. Appachan founded the Navodaya Studios. He produced south India’s first 70mm film, Padayottam, a The Count of Monte Cristo adaptation with the dream Malayalam cast of Prem Nazir, Madhu, Mammootty and Mohan Lal. Appachan also made Thacholi Ambu, south India’s first cinemascope film, starring another dream cast of Prem Nazir, Sivaji Ganesan and Jayan. But Appachan is best remembered for India’s first ever 3D film My Dear Kuttichathan, dubbed into Hindi as Chhota Chetan. Encomiums are pouring in. Sadly, Navodaya ceased operating after the Kamal Haasan and Jayaram-starrer Chanakyan, directed by TK Rajeev Kumar. “I was asked to meet him after ad filmmaker Mathew Paul told him about my mono act performance at Muhamma, Alappuzha. If the meeting itself was a miracle, there was a bigger miracle in waiting. He handed over to me the glasses for three-dimensional cinema. Thus I started as an assistant to Jijo in My Dear Kuttichathan, India’s first 3D film. He was brave enough to give me a film with a novel subject and Kamal Haasan, five years later, ” Rajeev Kumar said. We salute the dearly departed man who has given joy to millions across India and was a towering figure in the south Indian film industry.

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/anurag-kashyap-all-over-cannes-film-festival-2012/feed/2Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Gangs Of Wasseypur’ is making waves at Canneshttp://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/anurag-kashyaps-gangs-of-wasseypur-is-making-waves-at-cannes/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/anurag-kashyaps-gangs-of-wasseypur-is-making-waves-at-cannes/#commentsTue, 22 May 2012 17:24:48 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=107745The Manoj Bajpayee-Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer has managed to capture the imagination of many at the prestigious film festival

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap may not have even imagined the kind of buzz his gangster flick Gangs Of Wasseypur, based on the coal mafia of Dhanbad, has created at the Cannes Film Festival. One of his most ambitious and expensive films till date, GOW is yet to be screened, but it has already reached the international media who ar highly curious about the movie. The excited filmmaker posted an update on Twitter, “Its a Wet Cannes this year.. the red carpet is wet, people are wet and the riviera is drenched..”

Our friends, who are attending the film fest, told us that Kashyap’s film is one of the big highlights of this year. It is a big year for Indian films at Cannes and a lot of credit for that goes to the Dev.D director. His protégé Vasan Bala is also there with his debut film Peddlers. Wethinks it is great that our films are creating a good impression on such a prestigious platform and we hope they come back as winners. What do you think about Gangs of Wasseypur?

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/anurag-kashyaps-gangs-of-wasseypur-is-making-waves-at-cannes/feed/3Will Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Gangs Of Wasseypur’ be banned?http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/will-anurag-kashyaps-gangs-of-wasseypur-be-banned/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/will-anurag-kashyaps-gangs-of-wasseypur-be-banned/#respondWed, 23 May 2012 07:35:34 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=107805The people of Wasseypur are irked by the way their hometown has been portrayed in the film

Anurag Kashyap’s ambitious film, Gangs of Wasseypur, based on the coal mafia of Dhanbad, was recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and it received a standing ovation. Known for taking up subjects that are anything but typically Bollywood, Kashyap has once again made a mark at a prestigious platform. While things are looking up for the team of Gangs Of Wasseypur at Cannes, there is trouble brewing for them back home.

We hear that the people of Wasseypur, who have watched the trailer of Kashyap’s film, are irked by the way their hometown has been showcased, and want the film to be banned. The residents claim that it has several objectionable dialogues and the film is a plot to defame the people of Wasseypur. In a recent interview, the gushing filmmaker said, “All characters in this film are inspired by real characters. But we have fictionalised them. We heard the stories about this place and then visited it. Since I come from north India, I have an understanding of the milieu and where the characters are coming from. Syed Zeeshan Qadri who has co-written and acted in the film hails from Wasseypur.”

As much as we like Anurag’s inclination towards portraying the reality in his films, wethinks he should have further fictionalised his latest outing to keep himself out of trouble. Though we admire his guts and conviction, we also think it is only natural for the people of Wasseypur to take offense because now the world will look at their town as a lawless place full of trigger-happy gangsters. Do you think Mr Kashyap erred by getting too real with GOW?

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/will-anurag-kashyaps-gangs-of-wasseypur-be-banned/feed/0Manoj Bajpayee, Anurag Kashyap, Nawazuddin Siddiqui at Cannes Film Festival 2012http://www.bollywoodlife.com/pics/manoj-bajpayee-anurag-kashyapnawazuddin-siddiqui-at-cannes-film-festival-2012/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/pics/manoj-bajpayee-anurag-kashyapnawazuddin-siddiqui-at-cannes-film-festival-2012/#respondWed, 23 May 2012 08:36:49 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=107827Manoj Bajpayee, Anurag Kashyap and Nawazuddin Siddiqui at the premiere of ‘Gangs Of Wasseypur’ at the Cannes Film Festival

Photo : Yogen Shah

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/pics/manoj-bajpayee-anurag-kashyapnawazuddin-siddiqui-at-cannes-film-festival-2012/feed/0Is trouble brewing between Anurag Kashyap and Sheetal Talwar?http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/is-trouble-brewing-between-anurag-kashyap-and-sheetal-talwar/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/is-trouble-brewing-between-anurag-kashyap-and-sheetal-talwar/#commentsWed, 06 Jun 2012 05:29:03 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=111249The director of Dev.D and the producer of Mausam are taking potshots at each other post the latter’s comments about India’s presence at the recently held Cannes International Film Festival

Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur, his protégé Vasan Bala’s Peddlers and Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely were shown at the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival this year. It was a moment of glory for Indian cinema, because so far our presence at Cannes was limited to the red carpet, on which B-town’s brand-endorsing celebs like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor posed for shutterbugs. But this year was different, as the filmmakers and their bunch of enthusiastic actors got rave reviews for their films… standing ovations, the works!

So we were surprised when we read about producer Sheetal Talwar’s outburst. “Indian cinema is a f***ing joke at Cannes.” Talwar went on to say that NFDC was wasting money at the fest. The rant concluded with: “Barring a stray Satyajit Ray or Mira Nair, the world is not interested in our cinema.” This article angered all the filmmakers at Cannes trying to find new markets for their works. Anurag Kashyap, who has always been very vocal about his opinions, was in no mood to spare the Mausam producer.

In a reply to one of his followers on Twitter Kashyap said, “NFDC is actually making a difference here and Sheetal Talwar is who? the con job who doesn’t pay people, bullies writers.” He tweeted, “So the latest info i have is Mr. Subhash K Jha was on the Religare board, which is floated by Sheetal Talwar.. Fraud pe Fraud. And he resigned two years back from it.” While we don’t know why the filmmakers are washing their dirty linen in public, we just hope sanity prevails and they get back to making films.

Till a few days ago, Arjun Rampal was extremely confused about what to wear at the 65th Cannes International Film Festival. And after a lot of hemming and hawing, he chose to don close friend’s Rohit Bal’s creation. We are mighty impressed with Arjun’s fashion statement at the festival and we think he looks hot in Jodhpur pants, which he teamed up with a stylish bandhgala jacket. His moustache and those pointy shoes complement his cool royal look, and with beautiful Mehr by his side, the actor looks no less than a handsome prince strutting around with his princess. Mehr looks gorgeous in an orange floor-length gown.

Arjun has come a long way – from walking the ramp to walking the red carpet. A successful model at one time, Rampal couldn’t resist the temptation of tinsel town. He decided to take the plunge and started his acting career with Ashok Mehta’s Moksh. Trashed by critics for his wooden expressions and substandard thespian skills, Rampal continued his struggle and nothing could alter his determination to make it in Bollywood; not even all the criticism. Over the years there hasn’t been any significant improvement in the way the actor expresses himself onscreen, but he still remains one of the most sought-after faces. And as he makes an appearance at this prestigious film festival as the brand ambassador of a liquor brand, wethinks it’s his charm and determination that has brought him to this coveted platform today. What do you think?

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/arjun-rampals-cannes-look-ethnic-and-stylish/feed/1Kalki Koechlin opts for a half-sari at the 65th Cannes Film Festivalhttp://www.bollywoodlife.com/style/kalki-koechlin-opts-for-a-half-sari-at-the-65th-cannes-film-festival/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/style/kalki-koechlin-opts-for-a-half-sari-at-the-65th-cannes-film-festival/#respondThu, 24 May 2012 09:34:25 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=108109We love the fact that the babe is experimenting with her look at Cannes, but we would have been happier if she had done sowithout messing up

From hobnobbing with Hollywood stars to cheering for hubby Anurag Kashyap’s filmGangs Of Wasseypur, Kalki’s making sure she makes the most of her trip to Cannes this year. And although we have nothing against her having fun, we wish she had avoided the fashion faux pas and been slightly more careful about what she’s flaunting. So as we spotted her in a gorgeous tulle half-sari, we couldn’t help but notice the clunky hair accessory that she chose to team up with her pretty outfit. In a bid to look unconventional, li’l did Kalki realisethat she hadopted for something that didn’t even go with her ensemble. Although we are quite impressed with the perfectly set, curled hairdo and the minimal make-up look, we think the headband is quite an eyesore.

Kalki’s first appearance at the soiree packed quite a punch. She dazzled the red carpet in a Dior gown and chose to flaunt a loose updo . And just when we started expecting more from the babe, she let us down. All we can say is, next time around steerclear of anything that doesn’t complement your outfit, Kalki!

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/style/kalki-koechlin-opts-for-a-half-sari-at-the-65th-cannes-film-festival/feed/0Sonam Kapoor’s hair experiments!http://www.bollywoodlife.com/style/sonam-kapoors-hair-experiments/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/style/sonam-kapoors-hair-experiments/#respondTue, 29 May 2012 05:14:50 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=109348We like the hairstyles Sonam opted for at Cannes. Seems like the sassy babe racked her brains to a great extent to get the looks that she desired on the red carpet

Sonam Kapoor never really slacks off when it comes to looking her best. So recently, when we spotted the babe carefully trying to match her hairstyles with her ensembles at Cannes, we were pretty much convinced that it’s difficult to tear her away from anything related to style. Sonam stuck to classy and retro-inspired hairdos at the film festival. And although she didn’t really do anything adventurous style-wise, what impressed us is the fact that she did bring a great deal of variety to the way she did her hair…